• Research Associate

Iryna Adam

Iryna Adam is a research associate at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab. Adam researches disinformation centered around weapons of mass destruction, with a focus on Ukraine, Russia, and Eastern Europe.

Adam previously served as team lead on partner communications at the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security under the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. In this role, she established the training program for civil servants and managed communications with international partners. She has also worked with National Democratic Institute Ukraine’s Research and Countering Disinformation Program, where she focused on building resilience and increasing the capacity of local organizations to combat Russian disinformation.

Adam holds an MA in security studies from Georgetown University, specializing in intelligence and emerging technologies. She also holds an MSc in public relations from Boston University, specializing in nonprofit communications. Her areas of expertise include disinformation, extremism, political polarization, information integrity, and strategic communications.

July 2025

Manufacturing reality: How pro-Russian TikTok accounts promote Donbas’s revival

by Iryna Adam

On TikTok, pro-Russian accounts are attempting to craft an image of a thriving Mariupol, despite concerns from citizens on the ground.
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May 2025

South African influencers-for-hire attack Zelenskyy for declining Victory Day ceasefire

by Iryna Adam

Multiple South African X accounts linked to paid influencer marketplace also participated in previous campaign that advanced pro-Russian narratives.
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April 2025

Narrative and provocation: What Telegram had to say about the February attack on Chornobyl nuclear plant

by Iryna Adam, Samuel Rothbardt

Russian media and Telegram channels shifted blame onto Ukraine for the recent attack on the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and amplified narratives of potential nuclear escalation.
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